Any thoughts on Murphy's Oil as a possible candidate for a gentle, non-caustic shoe cleaner? The stuff is mostly orange oil, and I dilute it pretty heavily. Works wonders on wood surfaces, and doesn't seem to leave a residue if used sparingly and diluted properly.
Hesitant to try -any- new substance on my shoes, but might give it a try on a pair of beaters in the name of science.

Did your cobbler touch the soles or heels at all? I'm assuming no, since there was no need. But just wondering. If he didn't, you might want to try sending them back to AE. Of course, be prepared to be a little bit liberal with the truth of your narrative when you do. :) Just say you tried to polish them and must have messed something up, or better yet, say as little as possible.
If you're feeling more ethically constrained, then just send them off to someone like B....

There's a rumor going around that AE puts some sort of finishing layer on its shoes these days. How long they've been doing it, and precisely what it is, is anyone's guess. I've heard it contains silicone, or some other form of semipermeable sealant. Anyhow, whether this finishing layer does or does not exist, AE shoes can sometimes present difficulties in shining. I'll let a more seasoned expert like David address your question on a prescriptive level: i.e., what the f-...

I don't want to derail this thread too much further, but I'll say that I've had good experiences and bad experiences with coworkers of either gender. Dickishness, despite the allusions in the name, does not limit itself to one gender. That being said, on average, I find women to be better colleagues. They seem more socially competent, and less prone to territoriality and other forms of aggressive-political bullshit. (That's not to say that women are incapable of being...

Probably. The shirt is too big for you in the first place, but a good tailor can probably alter it into submission if you're dead set on it.
Your posture in these photos makes it hard to tell how well the shirt fits you across the shoulders. Looks like it could be a tad too big in the shoulders, but again, hard to tell precisely.
You could have the shirt taken in at the side seams, and/or darted, to slim up the torso a bit. Don't overdo it, though. You look pretty thin,...

You should have pulled the trigger last night. Stuff like that happens from time to time, and when it does, BB usually honors it. I remember when they accidentally extended a 50%-off discount to cordovan shoes a few years back, and to their credit, they honored the discount for anyone who bought during the 5-6 hours the discount was offered.

You and me both, brother. I'm not looking particularly hard for a brown captoe right now, but I have the Hallam in black, and it's a fantastic shoe. At $229, why the hell not, right? At the very least, you could probably flip those puppies on eBay or B&S for a small profit.